It's pretty crazy to think that one of the most powerful words in dog training
is a small three-letter word of yes.
And it's really important that we understand how to use it correctly because it
really can mold and shape everything about how your dog learns in order for yes.
To pack that powerful punch though.
We need to make sure that we first start with a really positive association with
it so that he understands that when I say yes, he is correct. Now,
one of the easiest ways to do this is just to play a little word association.
Now, if you don't imagine that I said the word yes to you and then handed you a
hundred bucks after yes. A hundred bucks or yes.
And handed you a cupcake or chocolate or whatever you like,
you would start to feel really good when I would say the word yes to you.
And we actually do the exact same thing with our dogs.
So you can get one of their favorite treats or even a favorite toy.
And you're going to say yes, and then reward one second later.
Now that one-second timeframe is super important because that's actually the
timeframe in which our dogs learn. And it seems really simple,
but unfortunately,
one of the biggest mistakes that people make when they're using the word yes.
If they do not deliver it with great timing,
therefore the dog doesn't actually compute what it means.
So in order for him to understand the word, yes, I need to do it like this. Yes.
Then feed one second later. Yes. Then feed one second later.
What a lot of people do wrong, unfortunately, is this. Yes,
yes. Seems subtle.
But I'm actually feeding my puppy at the same time that I say the word yes.
Or some people give them a treat and then say yes, afterward.
Now we can make sense of that. But our dogs cannot,
it's really important that we do have great word association word first followed
one second later, by that reward.
The reason why this is so important is that if I have food on Five's nose and
I'm saying the word, yes, I could be saying bananas, chocolate shakes, whatever.
I could say, whatever I want. He's not listening.
He is just thinking about eating that food.
So it is important that it's word first followed then by using your reward,
one second later, this is the single most powerful word in your dog training,
which means if you're using it correctly,
your dog training will be right on track. But if you're using it incorrectly,
well, things can go off the rails really quickly.
And I wanna make sure that doesn't happen to you. I'm Kayl McCann.
This is Five Alive. Welcome back to McCann Dogs
Here in our training facility,
we've helped more than a hundred thousand dog owners to overcome the same dog
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make sure you hit that subscribe button so that we can help you to have a well
behaved four-legged family member. We've talked about when and why,
but what we also need to do is talk about the how.
Now one of the biggest reasons why we like to use the word yes in our training,
is that we have our voice on us all the time.
I always have the opportunity to use and mark with the word Yes.
But it is important. How you say the word Yes. It needs to be very quick,
very deliberate.
Almost like you are taking a snapshot and that exact moment when your dog is
doing something correct. And you say, yes,
that is the thing at that moment that they think they're getting rewarded for.
So that's really important.
The other thing you wanna be careful about is how you use your voice.
The word yes, is a deliberate snapshot moment when they're correct.
It's very different than praise. So for example, if I say down, yes,
good boy. Good down. So I said, yes, the moment his elbows hit the floor.
And then I followed that with praise.
What I don't wanna do is this down yes.
Into this long drawn out. Yes.
Because during that time he could have looked over there.
He could have popped up into a sit there's lots of things that he could have
done. I need to be very deliberate and specific with my timing.
And also how I say the word Yes.
What I wanna do for you guys right now is show you guys how the concept of the
word yes. Works using a behavior that five already knows.
You probably saw earlier in the video. When I said down,
he understands to lie down on the word down,
but I'm gonna choose something totally random,
a random word that he is never heard before,
but I'm going to use a really well timed yes.
To help him problem solve through the exercise.
So maybe we'll use the word cupcake. I think I maybe said that earlier,
who doesn't love a cupcake. So what I'm gonna do is use good timing.
I'm going to say cupcake,
and then I'm going to lure him into the down position one second later with
great timing. And then I'm gonna mark it with that word Yes.
So I'm gonna look for those little elbows on the floor,
making sure he's all the way down each time I say it.
So I'm gonna take the food off of his nose. So he is not distracted cupcake.
Yes. Good boy. So I said the word lured him into position and I,
yessed him once he got into that new cupcake position. Okay. Let's try it again.
Now dogs learn through repetition. Oops. Spin o' rama. Cupcake. Yes.
Good boy. And I lure one second later. Yes. As soon as he hits the ground.
So again, the timing of the yes is really important here.
I need to make sure I'm not saying yes until he is actually in the position that
I want. Right. Let me try it one more time. Okay. Good boy. So here's some food.
Cupcake. Yes. Good boy. Good cupcake.
So there's my praise. Following it up with that word. Yes. Now we'll see.
We'll see if he's figured this out, I'm going to say cupcake this time.
I'm not going to help him with any food.
I'm gonna see if he can problem solve what I want. And if he hits the deck. Yes.
Good boy. I'm going to yes. And reward multiple times. Now that last little.
Yes.
There was for holding position because he is laid here this entire time that
I've been talking to you.
I can capture that by saying yes and rewarding.
Anything that I like I can capture in the moment. Okay.
Let's see if we can do this Baba. So I'm gonna start with him in the sit.
I'm gonna keep all sort of the moments the same here. Cupcake. Yes. Good boy.
Good cupcake. Yes. Good man.
Let's talk about what just happened because you're probably thinking yourself,
how on earth did that puppy just learn how to lie down on the word cupcake with
three repetitions.
And I'm gonna tell you why it's because he has understood the word. Yes.
Right from the day we brought him home, right. From the beginning,
he has had hundreds and hundreds of repetitions of hearing me say the word. Yes.
And then rewarding him. I did it with his kibble all of the time.
So he understands the concept. Yes.
He also really understands how to lie down in position as well.
Of course he doesn't know what the word cupcake means,
but he does know how to go into position.
So it's important that when you're practicing this with your dog,
don't get frustrated. If it doesn't happen in three tries,
if your puppy is still trying to navigate how to lie down in position,
you might just wanna remove the word altogether.
You might simply just wanna use some food and lure them slowly into position.
Yes. Still utilize that. Yes. When they go into position,
I could try something a bit more complicated.
Maybe I want him to go on his side. Yes. Good boy. I can use that.
Yes.
Yes. There we go. I wanted him to go to a sit. He didn't go right away.
So I just helped him a little bit with the food and I waited and I yessed,
when he popped up.
I wanna take a closer look now at one of the biggest mistakes that people make
when they're using the word. Yes.
And it's really making sure that you understand that at the exact moment that
you say yes, that is what the dog thinks that they're correct about.
And one of the common mistakes that people do is they'll say yes at a time when
they really don't mean it. Because as a human, we can understand, you know,
things, big picture. But at the, uh, from the dog's perspective,
they're really thinking in the moment at that exact moment.
So a really common place that we see, this is say, for example,
your dog's in a down position,
and you wanna go back and reward them for having a great down position.
And as you reach in to give them the food, the dog pops up,
we still see a lot of people say, yes, they give the dog a treat.
They ask the dog to lie down again.
And then they move away and they come back to give the dog a treat.
And then the dog pops up. They say, yes.
And then they ask the dog to lie down again.
And they have a hard time understanding that what I'm actually teaching five to
do, is that instead of lying down in position,
I'm teaching him that when I come back to you to reward,
you get up out of position. So it's important that if I want him to understand,
to hold a down position,
hopefully I haven't just ruined my down by having poor timing there.
I need to say yes and get that reward in while he's doing the thing that I
want him to do. So that it's clear. Yes. Good boy.
The other thing you wanna be careful about is you don't wanna pre-cue that the
yes is coming. So for example,
if I'm training him and the whole time I'm training him,
I have my hand lingering in the bait pouch.
Obviously he's going to pay attention and he knows the yes is coming.
He's gonna be more a attentive to me. Um,
we sort of tried a little thing off camera here,
which we thought was quite funny. If these guys distract the puppy.
.
So funny.
.
He understands that the yes is coming.
And I don't want him to learn to listen when the yes. Is there.
What I could do is wait for him to offer. Yes. Good boy.
And then I could capture that.
That's actually how I teach him to be so attentive to me.
So if he looks away or he is not paying attention,
maybe they can get his attention again.
Yes. Good boy.
I can start to capture when he is correct. So he starts to figure out, huh?
When I look at you, you say yes. And you reward me. So maybe, look at that.
Maybe if I just keep looking at you more. Yes. And rewards will come. And again,
I'm not pre cuing. It. I'm not, um, I'm not bribing him with my bait bag.
I'm not doing anything. He's simply learning that word. Yes.
Captures when he's doing something very good. Five good boy.
Something that I like. Yes. Good boy.
We talked a lot about the power of the word. Yes. In today's video.
But sometimes it's not about what you say. It's how you say it.
So to make sure you're not saying too much, watch this video right here.
If you want some more personalized help on how to use yes.
Correctly in your training.
And if you wanna work with me and the rest of the amazing McCcann Dogs team
check out our online course called puppy essentials.
The link for that is in the description below. On that note, I'm Kayl.
This is Five Alive, happy training.